Our assignment is to discuss as a team where we see our combined efforts playing out in terms of strengths and weakness in the way we currently educate students at our school. What areas of the quadrant do we need to strengthen as we are managing 21st Century change? Are there areas of the quadrant that call for celebration? Do we see shifts that need addressing that haven't been considered in this early research? What is our take on 21st Century skill development over all?
Then go back to the NING forum as individuals and share a piece of our team discussion that resonated with each of us.
A. Digital-Age Literacies As society changes, the skills needed to deal withthe complexities of life also change. Major newstudies now define literacy as the ability to use“digital technology, communications tools, and/ornetworks to access, manage, integrate, evaluate,and create information in order to function in aknowledge society” (ICT Literacy Panel, 2002). A1.Basic Literacy: Can students demonstrate languageproficiency (in English) and numeracy at levelsnecessary for success on the job and in a digital-agesociety? AAE A2.Scientific Literacy: Do students have the knowledgeand understanding of scientific concepts and processesrequired for personal decision-making, participation incivic and cultural affairs, and economic productivity? A3.Economic Literacy: Can students identify economicissues; analyze incentives; examine the consequencesof changes in economic conditions and public policies;collect and organize economic evidence; and weighcosts against benefits? MSR A4.Technological Literacy: Do students know whattechnology is, how it works, what purposes it can serve,and how it can be used efficiently and effectively toachieve specific goals? AAE-It'll be interesting to see the results of the technology survey A5.Visual Literacy: Can students interpret, use,appreciate, and create images and video using bothconventional and 21st century media in ways thatadvance thinking, decision-making, communication, andlearning? A6.Information Literacy: Are students able to evaluateinformation across a range of media; recognize wheninformation is needed; locate, synthesize, and use iteffectively; and accomplish this using technology,communication networks, and electronic resources? NS A7.Multicultural Literacy: Can students understand andappreciate similarities and differences between thecustoms, values, and beliefs of their own culture andthe cultures of others? AAE, MSR A8.Global Awareness: Do students recognize andunderstand relationships among internationalorganizations, nation-states, public and privateeconomic entities, socio-cultural groups, and individualsacross the globe? AAE, MSR B. MMH Inventive Thinking Experts agree: As technology becomes moreprevalent in our everyday lives, cognitive skillsbecome increasingly critical. “In effect, becausetechnology makes the simple tasks easier, itplaces a greater burden on higher-level skills” (ICTLiteracy Panel, 2002). B1.Adaptability/Managing Complexity: Can studentsmodify their thinking, attitudes, or behaviors to bebetter suited to current or future environments? Canthey handle multiple goals, tasks, and inputs whileunderstanding and adhering to organizational ortechnological constraints of time, resources, andsystems? B2.MMH Self-Direction: Are students able to set goals relatedto learning, plan for the achievement of those goals,independently manage time and effort, andindependently assess the quality of learning and anyproducts that result from the learning experience? B3.Curiosity: Do students have a desire to know or aspark of interest that leads to inquiry? B4.MMHCreativity: Are students able to bring something intoexistence that is genuinely new and original, whetherpersonally (original only to the individual) or culturally(where the work adds significantly to a domain ofculture as recognized by experts)? B5.Risk-taking: Are students willing to make mistakes,advocate unconventional or unpopular positions, ortackle challenging problems without obvious solutions,such that their personal growth, integrity, oraccomplishments are enhanced? NS B6.MMH Higher-Order Thinking and Sound Reasoning: Arestudents adept at cognitive processes of analysis,comparison, inference/interpretation, evaluation, andsynthesis, as applied to a range of academic domainsand problem-solving contexts?
C. Effective Communication According to the 21st Century Literacy Summit,“information and communications technologiesare raising the bar on the competenciesneeded to succeed in the 21st century” (2002).Both researchers and the business communityagree: effective communication skills areessential for success in today’s knowledge-based society. C1.Teaming and Collaboration: Can studentscooperatively interact with one or moreindividuals, working with others to solveproblems, create novel products, or learn andmaster content? C2.Interpersonal Skills: Are students able toread and manage their own and others’emotions, motivations, and behaviors duringsocial interactions or in social-interactivecontexts? C3.Personal Responsibility: Do studentsdemonstrate a depth and currency ofknowledge about legal and ethical issuesrelated to technology, combined with an abilityto apply this knowledge to achieve balance,integrity, and quality of life as citizens, familyand community members, learners, andworkers? MSR C4.Social and Civic Responsibility: Canstudents manage technology and govern itsuse in ways that promote the public good andprotect society, the environment, anddemocratic ideals? MSR C5.Interactive Communication: Do studentsgenerate meaning through exchanges using arange of contemporary tools, transmissions,and processes? D. High Productivity “We are living in a new economy,” says theU.S. Department of Labor. In the Digital Age,success is “powered by technology, fueled byinformation, and driven by knowledge.”Though not yet a high-stakes focus ofschools, these skills often determine whethera person succeeds or fails in today’sworkforce. D1.Prioritizing, Planning, and Managing forResults: Do students organize to efficientlyachieve the goals of specific projects orproblems? D2.Effective Use of Real-World Tools: Canstudents use real-world tools (i.e. thehardware, software, networking, andperipheral devices used by InformationTechnology (IT) workers to accomplish 21stcentury work) to communicate, collaborate,solve problems, and accomplish tasks? D3.Ability to Produce Relevant, High-QualityProducts: Are students adept at developingintellectual, informational, or materialproducts that serve authentic purposes andoccur as a result of their using real-worldtools to solve or communicate about real-world problems? These products includepersuasive communications in any media(print, video, the Web, verbal presentation),synthesis of resources into more useableforms (databases, graphics, simulations), orrefinement of questions that build upon whatis known to advance one’s own and others’understanding.
Then go back to the NING forum as individuals and share a piece of our team discussion that resonated with each of us.
A. Digital-Age Literacies
As society changes, the skills needed to deal with the complexities of life also change. Major new studies now define literacy as the ability to use “digital technology, communications tools, and/or networks to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information in order to function in a knowledge society” (ICT Literacy Panel, 2002).
A1. Basic Literacy: Can students demonstrate language proficiency (in English) and numeracy at levels necessary for success on the job and in a digital-age society? AAE
A2. Scientific Literacy: Do students have the knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and processes required for personal decision-making, participation in civic and cultural affairs, and economic productivity?
A3. Economic Literacy: Can students identify economic issues; analyze incentives; examine the consequences of changes in economic conditions and public policies; collect and organize economic evidence; and weigh costs against benefits? MSR
A4. Technological Literacy: Do students know what technology is, how it works, what purposes it can serve, and how it can be used efficiently and effectively to achieve specific goals? AAE-It'll be interesting to see the results of the technology survey
A5. Visual Literacy: Can students interpret, use, appreciate, and create images and video using both conventional and 21st century media in ways that advance thinking, decision-making, communication, and learning?
A6. Information Literacy: Are students able to evaluate information across a range of media; recognize when information is needed; locate, synthesize, and use it effectively; and accomplish this using technology, communication networks, and electronic resources? NS
A7. Multicultural Literacy: Can students understand and appreciate similarities and differences between the customs, values, and beliefs of their own culture and the cultures of others? AAE, MSR
A8. Global Awareness: Do students recognize and understand relationships among international organizations, nation-states, public and private economic entities, socio-cultural groups, and individuals across the globe? AAE, MSR
B. MMH Inventive Thinking
Experts agree: As technology becomes more prevalent in our everyday lives, cognitive skills become increasingly critical. “In effect, because technology makes the simple tasks easier, it places a greater burden on higher-level skills” (ICT Literacy Panel, 2002).
B1. Adaptability/Managing Complexity: Can students modify their thinking, attitudes, or behaviors to be better suited to current or future environments? Can they handle multiple goals, tasks, and inputs while understanding and adhering to organizational or technological constraints of time, resources, and systems?
B2. MMH Self-Direction: Are students able to set goals related to learning, plan for the achievement of those goals, independently manage time and effort, and independently assess the quality of learning and any products that result from the learning experience?
B3. Curiosity: Do students have a desire to know or a spark of interest that leads to inquiry?
B4.MMH Creativity: Are students able to bring something into existence that is genuinely new and original, whether personally (original only to the individual) or culturally (where the work adds significantly to a domain of culture as recognized by experts)?
B5. Risk-taking: Are students willing to make mistakes, advocate unconventional or unpopular positions, or tackle challenging problems without obvious solutions, such that their personal growth, integrity, or accomplishments are enhanced? NS
B6. MMH Higher-Order Thinking and Sound Reasoning: Are students adept at cognitive processes of analysis, comparison, inference/interpretation, evaluation, and synthesis, as applied to a range of academic domains and problem-solving contexts?
C. Effective Communication
According to the 21st Century Literacy Summit, “information and communications technologies are raising the bar on the competencies needed to succeed in the 21st century” (2002). Both researchers and the business community agree: effective communication skills are essential for success in today’s knowledge- based society.
C1. Teaming and Collaboration: Can students cooperatively interact with one or more individuals, working with others to solve problems, create novel products, or learn and master content?
C2. Interpersonal Skills: Are students able to read and manage their own and others’ emotions, motivations, and behaviors during social interactions or in social-interactive contexts?
C3. Personal Responsibility: Do students demonstrate a depth and currency of knowledge about legal and ethical issues related to technology, combined with an ability to apply this knowledge to achieve balance, integrity, and quality of life as citizens, family and community members, learners, and workers? MSR
C4. Social and Civic Responsibility: Can students manage technology and govern its use in ways that promote the public good and protect society, the environment, and democratic ideals? MSR
C5. Interactive Communication: Do students generate meaning through exchanges using a range of contemporary tools, transmissions, and processes?
D. High Productivity
“We are living in a new economy,” says the U.S. Department of Labor. In the Digital Age, success is “powered by technology, fueled by information, and driven by knowledge.” Though not yet a high-stakes focus of schools, these skills often determine whether a person succeeds or fails in today’s workforce.
D1. Prioritizing, Planning, and Managing for Results: Do students organize to efficiently achieve the goals of specific projects or problems?
D2. Effective Use of Real-World Tools: Can students use real-world tools (i.e. the hardware, software, networking, and peripheral devices used by Information Technology (IT) workers to accomplish 21st century work) to communicate, collaborate, solve problems, and accomplish tasks?
D3. Ability to Produce Relevant, High-Quality Products: Are students adept at developing intellectual, informational, or material products that serve authentic purposes and occur as a result of their using real-world tools to solve or communicate about real- world problems? These products include persuasive communications in any media (print, video, the Web, verbal presentation), synthesis of resources into more useable forms (databases, graphics, simulations), or refinement of questions that build upon what is known to advance one’s own and others’ understanding.
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